Emotions & Behavior

Ways to cope

Adjustment related stress is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressor. These symptoms start within 3 months of the stressor.

Common symptoms of adjustment-related stress include:

• Distress that is out of proportion to the severity or intensity of the stressor
• Difficulty performing in important areas of functioning (social, work, school, etc.)

Emotional and behavioral symptoms such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Loss of interest in everyday activities
• Feeling overwhelmed and stressed
• Acting impulsively or recklessly
• Excessive use of alcohol or recreational substances
• Being withdrawn or isolated

Stressors may involve single or multiple events, both positive and negative, and they can be recurring or continuous.

Please check with your healthcare provider to learn what treatments are recommended for your needs. Individualized recommendations may vary depending on the stressor, but effective treatments may include individual psychotherapy and/or group education and therapy to help process the event and learn techniques to stay in the moment and relax.

Ways to cope

Anxiety refers to feelings of worry or unease, often related to uncertain situations. It is a normal reaction to stress and can alert us to danger and help us prepare and pay attention. However, anxiety can also cause muscle tension and other physical symptoms and can cause us to avoid situations that worsen feelings of unease.

Fear is an emotion that occurs in response to an immediate threat. Fear activates the body’s fight or flight response.

Symptoms

• Muscle tension
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating
• Worry and being unable to relax
• Fearing that the worst will happen, fear of dying, or fear of losing control
• Dizziness
• Shaking or trembling
• Indigestion
• Difficulty breathing

Anxiety disorders occur when feelings of fear or anxiety are excessive and keep a person from functioning normally. They’re the most commonly diagnosed category of mental health disorder. Types include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, and separation anxiety disorder.

Treatment

• Normalize feelings of worry or unease in the face of stressful situations and education about anxiety.
• Learn cognitive behavioral skills for managing anxiety, such as tools for monitoring anxiety, challenging negative self-talk, and practicing relaxation exercises.
• Seek support as you look to get more involved in your community.
• Try to be kind to yourself and avoid judging your feelings or experiences.

• Practice good self-care. Eat well, exercise, sleep, and engage in activities that make you feel good or that matter to you.
• Try to maintain a daily routine.
• Learn and practice strategies that support relaxation and focus on the present moment.
• Seek counseling or therapy.
• Take your medications as prescribed and talk to a doctor about medication for anxiety if you feel it might be helpful for you.

How others can help

Family members and other people in a person’s support system may experience a range of negative emotions themselves, as anxiety can affect communication, interest in family activities, sexual activity, and energy level. They may also feel worried, frustrated, or discouraged when trying to help.

• Try to be patient, encouraging, and nurturing.
• Remind the person of skills that are helpful for him or her when they feel anxious, such as taking a time out, deep breathing, and focusing on the present moment.
• Encourage them to talk to a health professional about their symptoms.
• Learn about anxiety and treatment, but acknowledge that it is not your job to control or treat someone else’s anxiety.
• Join a support group.
• Spend time with friends, family, and supportive people.
• Try to be kind to yourself and avoid judging your feelings or experiences.
• Practice good self-care. Eat well, exercise, sleep, and engage in activities that make you feel good or that matter to you.
• Try to maintain a routine for yourself and other household members.
• Meet with a counselor or therapist if you feel like you need more support.

Ways to cope

We all have moments or days when we feel sad, down, or unmotivated, especially when dealing with stressful situations. Depression or a major depressive episode may be diagnosed by a provider in someone who reports a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every day, and/or loss of interest in things they would normally enjoy, along with several other symptoms for at least two weeks.

Symptoms

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, including feelings of sadness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest and pleasure in almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Sleep problems
• Significant speeding up or slowing down of physical movement
• Decreased concentration
• Fatigue
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Treatment

• Normalize negative feelings in the face of stressful situations.
• Learn about depression and how to treat it.
• Seek counseling or therapy.
• Learn cognitive behavioral skills for managing depressed mood, such as tools for monitoring mood, challenging negative self-talk, and increasing activity.
• See your doctor about medication to treat depression.
• Seek support for community reintegration to gradually and safely increase meaningful and enjoyable activity.
• Talk to a health professional about your symptoms
• Spend time with friends, family, and supportive people.
• Try to be kind to yourself and avoid judging your feelings or experiences.
• Practice good self-care. Eat well, exercise, sleep, and engage in activities that make you feel good or that matter to you.
• Try to maintain a daily routine.
• Take your medications as prescribed and talk to a doctor about medication for depression if you feel it might be helpful for you.

How others can help

Family members and other people in a person’s support system may experience a range of negative emotions themselves, as depression can affect communication, interest in family activities, sexual activity, or other shared experiences. They may also feel emotionally distant, worried, frustrated, hurt, or discouraged when trying to help.

• Do your best to be patient and listen without judgement.
• Try not to take their behavior personally.
• Ask the person what they need at a particular time, such as a hug, some space, or time doing something together.
• Encourage them to talk to a health professional about their symptoms.
• Learn about depression and treatment, but acknowledge that it is not your job to control or treat someone else’s depression.
• Join a support group.
• Try to be kind to yourself and avoid judging your feelings or experiences.
• Practice good self-care. Eat well, exercise, sleep, and engage in activities that make you feel good or that matter to you.
• Try to maintain a routine for yourself and other household members.
• Meet with a counselor or therapist if you feel like you need more support.

Ways to cope

Post-traumatic stress is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Common symptoms include:

• Intrusive thoughts, including unwanted repeated thoughts, memories, or flashbacks of traumatic event(s) that are not easily stopped
• Nightmares or repeated dreams that are distressing
• Other problems with sleep
• Avoidance of people, places, and things that resemble or represent traumatic memories
• Startled easily by loud noises, fireworks, helicopters, etc.
• Irritability or angry outbursts

Post-traumatic stress can affect families and other caregivers as well. Related factors in these relationships may include:

• Feeling emotionally distant from the individual affected
• Reduced communication with the individual affected
• Feeling anger toward the individual affected, sometimes for no clear reason
• Feeling hurt by the individual affected, sometimes for no clear reason
• Feeling helpless in supporting the individual affected overcoming their trauma
• Feeling discouraged that the individual affected cannot overcome the effects of their trauma
• Feeling rejected by the individual affected
• Decreased sexual activity or desire
• A reduced desire by the individual affected to participate in family social activities
• A preoccupation by the individual affected with keeping the family safe

Treatment

Individual psychotherapy and/or group education and therapy which may address:

• Trigger awareness to identify what causes or worsens symptoms
• Grounding techniques, such as tools to stay in the moment
• Relaxation skills, such as breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation
• Sleep hygiene
• Healthy coping strategies
• Help with processing traumatic experience(s)